Second Chance
by Amy47101
Summary: New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. Cordelia realizes this when Chrom chooses someone else. High School AU


o.0.o.0.o

 _Second Chance_

 _New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings._

 _-Lao Tzu_

o.0.o.0.o

As much as Cordelia hated to admit it, Sumia had gotten her hooked on horoscopes. So when she went on a horoscope website and clicked the Cancer tab, she nearly squealed at what had been shown for the month of may.

 _One of your guy friends is going to make a move on you this month! It may be awkward and unexpected at first, but go with it, Cancer. Know that if you accept this new relationship, you will be very, very happy._

She mostly just glanced at the horoscopes out of curiosity and because Sumia would send it to her, regardless of the fact that she was Sagittarius, not Cancer. So every day, Cordelia would check her horoscope, at the beginning of the month, her monthly horoscope. Most of the time they were pointless things like "slow down and take things slow" or "Get some rest" or some fancy mojo like that.

But this one struck a cord with her.

Before getting her hopes up that this was just stupid dumb luck, what with prom right around the corner and such, she glanced through the other horoscopes. The only other thing about relationships and love was Sagittarius.

 _Be bold, Sagittarius! Your chance of getting in a relationship with a person you like is waning thin. The person you like is interested as well, but they think you aren't interested at all! So unless you make your move now, he or she will end up with someone else. Take the risk, Sagittarius! You won't regret it!_

Cordelia smiled lightly. Hopefully Sumia will take this advice to heart, she wasn't to sure how much more the gardens in both her house and her friends could last from the "he loves me he loves me not" flower fortunes.

Her eyes moved back to her horoscope she had saved. So it wasn't a complete fluke after all. It was already May tenth, and nothing had happened.

Her mind wandered as the bus pulled up to a stop in front of her high school. She had plenty of guy friends, really, but most of them had girlfriends of some sort, whether they were willing to admit it or not. But what really had her hopes up was _one_ guy in particular.

Chrom Exalt.

He was absolutely perfect in every way, and for as long as Cordelia could remember, she's had an embarrassingly huge crush on him. She wasn't exactly how to approach the subject of dating him, though.

" _For as much as you are obvious,"_ Sully would say gruffly with a smirk on her face. " _He's oblivious!"_

This was followed by her being mortified about being obvious, which was later followed by Sumia patting her on the back and saying it wasn't so bad.

Going through the hallway to the cafeteria, where she and her friends always met up before going to class, she passed by Nowi, bouncing excitedly alongside her date, Ricken.

"Can you help us out?" Ricken asked. "See-"

"Henry's gonna do a prom proposal!" Nowi exclaimed excitedly. Cordelia blinked. The Plegia High student who recently transferred? The one who hung around with Ricken and them, now known as a member of their group, the Shepherds? The one who always was joking and had that creepy smile? _That_ Henry?

"To who?" she asked, trying to go through people who Henry would be interested in. She remembered her May horoscope from earlier in the month and internally winced. _Please,_ no.

"Olivia!" Nowi exclaimed. Cordelia blinked. Olivia and Henry?

"Really?" she asked.

"Really." Ricken responded. "All of the rest of us are in on it, so we need you to come outside turning our tutorial period. We've already got Gregor and Cherche bringing Olivia outside."

"I'm not quite sure what's going on..." Cordelia trailed off, smiling slightly. "But I'll gladly help."

o.0.o.0.o

"Are these... crow feathers?" Cordelia asked as Sumia passed her two bucketfuls. Sumia nodded.

"I'm not quite sure where he got them-"

"Henry works at animal shelters and usually hangs out around in the forest." Tharja stated as she went by. "I think he's been planning this since middleschool, he just wasn't sure who to." she snickered. "Did you know that his original plan was to unleash an actual flock of crows on the girl?"

Cordelia inwardly shuddered at her sudden appearance, as Tharja was _way_ into the occult. The raven-haired senior sauntered across the bridge and pressed herself against Libra. The blond haired man- wether you believed it or not- smiled slightly, though blushing.

"Tharja, everyone's staring." he muttered. Tharja glanced at him.

"So?"

Tharja and Libra. Tharja, as in the girl obsessed with the occult, and Libra, as in, the guy who volunteers at foster homes and churches, teaches at Sunday school at age eighteen, and essentially runs half the charity drives at Ylisse High. A strange pairing, really. No one know how or why they came to being a couple, but some suspected that it had something to due with Gregor and Cherche, the former a psychology teacher notorious for helping set up couples and Cherche, his considerably younger wife and the favorite guidance counselor.

Those two teachers were coveted members of faculty among the school, mostly for being able to connect so well with their students.

"Is everyone set up?" Rosalie asked. A round of quiet responses went out. The plan was fairly simple. In between the two schools was a considerably large garden meant for outdoor classes when it got warmer out. Overhead was two bridges parallel to each other. Their group had gathered together, buckets of crow feathers in hand, and split up on each side of the bridge.

Henry was off to the side holding a bouquet of violets and white roses, grinning, though his constant fidgeting gave away his nervousness. On each end was Ella and Demyan, Ella on their side and Demyan on the other, holding the ends of a banner that they planned to unroll once Olivia came out.

Gregor and Cherche would lead her out under the pretense of a 'special psychology project', with Cherche secretly videotaping the whole thing behind them. The two teachers had reserved the entire garden for this proposal. Now all they had to do was wait and hope that Olivia accepted.

" _Who am I to think she won't accept?"_ Cordelia rolled her eyes. " _Poor girl's had a crush on that boy since he transferred."_

"Now Gregor says this is very special project."

Here it goes. That loud russian accent could not be mistaken. True to her suspicions, Gregor came out with an arm around Olivia's shoulders, Cherche behind them with a camera. Olivia seemed oblivious to the camera, focusing on what Gregor was saying.

"What's the project focused on again, Gregor? And why is it so important that _I_ take it? I'm pretty sure I'm passing your class..." Another thing about Gregor and Cherche. The insist on going by their first names rather than Mr. and Mrs. Rego.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong!" Gregor shouted. "There is but one thing you not passing in my class! You no passing human affection part! This project is about students and their reaction to sudden prom proposals, and it will bring you from no passing to perfectly passing!"

That was their cue. They began throwing the crow feathers over the edge in handfuls, Ella and Demyan letting the banner loose. On it, in large letters, was: _Olivia, don't be the CAWS of my heartbreak! Come to prom with me?_

Olivia widened her eyes as the feathers fell around them, Henry grinning as he walked forward, holding the bouquet out to her. There was a long silence as Olivia didn't move for a good minute.

"What are you waiting for, Olivia?" Cherche smiled as she moved the camera around so that it focused on her face. "Are you surprised?"

"I-It's on camera?!" she exclaimed, face darkening to deep red.

"Is that a yes?" Cherche hummed, smiling. Olivia blinked, the smiled at Henry, nodding and taking the bouquet. Henry grinned, wrapping her in a hug as he raised his fist in victory.

Everyone cheered for them.

o.0.o.0.o

"So..." Cordelia looked up as Stahl sat next to her, a bought breakfast in hand. Cordelia had arrived early to do some extra practice on the harp in the music room, and as of yet, no one else had arrived. Stahl had always arrived early, however, since he like to get first pick on the breakfast that the lunch ladies sold to them. "Wanna go to prom with me?"

Cordelia went wide eyed with shock as Stahl went on to unwrap his breakfast sandwich, glancing thoughtfully at it before taking a bite. He looked back up at her as he swallowed, waiting for an answer. She thought he was joking... he was serious?

"So?"

"Stahl..." she swallowed, looking away. "Oh, Stahl..."

"Cordelia!" Sumia tackled her in a hug, giving her a perfect distraction. "He said yes! The horoscope was right! He said yes!" Cordelia smiled at her friend, giving her the perfect excuse to not respond fully to Stahl's question.

"Who?"

"Frederick!"

Cordelia smiled for her giddy friend.

o.0.o.0.o

Cordelia didn't address the question that Stahl had asked. He didn't bring it up, and no one else knew, so she chose to ignore it. Maybe it made her a horrible person, but Stahl still greeted everyone with his smile, acting as if he had never asked.

Sometimes she pondered why he asked. She thought back to earlier in the year, when she had tickets for a haunted house tour around Halloween. Originally, she was going to ask Chrom to come, but he was busy with setting up for the harvest festival, as well as several of her other friends. Originally, she had thought about simply giving the tickets to Gregor and Cherche to give them a break from their child, Gerome, but Stahl saw them poking out of her folder.

 _"Are those haunted house tour? Those one for the Grand Station Brewery downtown?"_

 _"Yeah,"_ she had answered, pulling them out.

 _"You're so lucky!"_ he exclaimed. _"I always wanted to go on one of these! They're super exclusive. People are preordering tickets in August!"_

 _"I didn't realize they were that popular."_ she glanced at them. _"Do you want them? Everyone else is helping with the harvest festival."_

 _"Are you kidding?! I can't take them, they're yours!"_ he exclaimed. He glanced at them, then grinned. _"How about we go together? You get to keep your tickets and go with a friend, and I get to go on the tour!"_

Maybe it was a branch off of that. Maybe he thought it was a date rather than two friends. Maybe he wanted a date, wanted to brag about having her as a date. Maybe he caught up in Henry's promposal. It was, after all, only a day after Henry pulled his off.

Maybe... Maybe he felt sorry for her.

She wouldn't be surprised. Here she was pining after the most sought after guy in the school who's about as oblivious to her feelings as Vaike was to annoying Lon'qu.

The bell had rung, and she was already out in the parking lot, approaching her group of friends. Sumia stepped away from Frederick, approaching her.

"Hey Cordelia! So I'm in the mood for ice cream. How 'bout we hit up Dairy Queen real quick before we got home."

"Sure, but I just wanted to talk to-" Chrom turned his head, and smiled, then raised his hand in a wave. Cordelia paused in shock. Chrom... Chrom was waving at _her?_ Hesitantly, she lifted her hand to return the gesture, when a sudden flash of light green went past her.

 _Oh._

It was Rosalie, a jack of all trades girl and master of chess and history, specifically, battle history. She suddenly appeared one day at their school, and seemed to just blend right in. In her arms was a bouquet of pretty daisies and bright pink roses, as well as a cute little bear with a T-shirt on it that said _Prom?_ on the front. Cordelia followed her gaze as Rosalie approached him, smiling while teases were passed around.

"So Rosalie was the lucky lady, eh, Chrom?" Vaike teased, jabbing the blue haired boy in the ribs.

"Aaaaw, look." Demyan held the tan bear up. "It has a little question mark and everything."

"I made the bear, Rosalie." Lissa stated proudly. Gaius reached out an flicked her ear.

"More like _I_ made the bear. You just sewed some letters on a T-shirt, Princess." Lissa puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"I don't see how Maribelle sees anything worth dateable in you."

"What can I say?" Gaius wrapped an arm around Maribelle with a grin. "She got caught up in my charms."

"More like _you_ got caught up with my father's candy shop, darling." Maribelle said in a semi-joking manner.

"I'm sorry." Sumia muttered. "I was going to tell you, but my phone died and I figured it was something better to tell you in person."

"Oh, I'm fine." Cordelia said, smiling at her. "It's... It probably wouldn't have worked out, you know? He's a Gemini... I'm Cancer... we don't match." she twiddled her thumbs, looking down, then sighing. "Anyways, I'm going to go home. Ton of homework to do, you know?" she smiled at her. "I'll see you around."

o.0.o.0.o

Cordelia could not say she was surprised nor could she say she was fine. Rosalie was a wonderful girl. She wanted the best for everyone. She would give her own life to help any of them, and Cordelia wasn't exaggerating that. She was pretty and smart and helpful. But Cordelia couldn't see it as quite fair that she, after only knowing Chrom for a little over a few months, was suddenly his prom date when she had known him since middleschool.

She laid on her bed, saddened and confused. What had gone wrong? Her horoscope-

 _One of your guy friends is going to make a move on you this month!_

One of her guy friends. Not specifically her crush. She thought of Stahl. He was the only one of her friends who made a move on her this month.

 _It may be awkward and unexpected at first, but go with it, Cancer._

That was an understatement.

 _Know that if you accept this new relationship, you will be very, very happy._

She thought about it for a moment, then felt riddled with guilt. Imagine the amount of courage Stahl had to did for in order to come up with the courage to ask her out like that. She thought about the amount of courage it took for her to simply talk to Chrom, and imagined that it must be something akin to that. She would feel horribly angry if someone didn't give her a straight answer.

She sat up, reaching for her phone and going through her contacts. She smiled slightly as she came across Stahl's number. They had exchanged their numbers back around October with the halloween thing. She swallowed, then typed in the message, and hit send.

 _Stahl, I'm sorry about what happened earlier this week. I wasn't sure how I felt. But will you give me a second chance as your prom date?_

o.0.o.0.o

 **Should he?**

 **Because as crazy as promposals are, they are just as depressing as well.**

 **Amy47101 signing off! ^.^**


End file.
